"I try to keep things simple and set small goals at first,” says Oake, who gives lessons at the Chelsea Golf Center and the Leslie Park & Huron Hills Golf Courses in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “When they meet the small goals, they can realize success early on. A feeling of success is imperative to a student’s learning,” he adds. Oake’s approach works. Oake recently helped organize and run the City of Ann Arbor Junior Golf Championship. He also coached the state-ranked Chelsea High School boys’ golf team. Oake witnessed his efforts and his students efforts coming to fruition. “Many of my students have won tournaments or placed very well, and it makes me extremely proud to have played a part,” says Oake.

Oake’s communication skills and warm personality allow him to work with golfers of all abilities. “In someone's first golf lesson, there are often many questions,” says Oake. “A common question has to do with the different uses and types of equipment. After this, I always start with the fundamentals of grip, aim, stance and alignment. These are the things that everyone has a tremendous amount of control over correcting.” Once those fundamentals are understood, Oake has given his student a sense of accomplishment from the get-go.

“It is important to get all of the non-swing elements of golf in place before a good swing can even happen,” says Oake. This is especially true for beginners, so Oake focuses on proper set-up first, then works with them on smooth tempo and half swings to get the feeling of hitting the ball solidly. The full swing is basically an extension of the chip shot, according to Oake; beginners will start with these basics and work their way up to a more fluid full swing.

Oake’s intermediate level players tend to hit certain shots they find unacceptable. “We work on the cause and effect of these shots,” says Oake. “When you understand why certain shots are occurring, you can prevent the things from happening that cause them.” Oake’s advanced players typically have consistent swings and pre-shot routines. He guides these players primarily in mental preparation and course management. “Most good players hit the ball well,” says Oake. “Learning how to score, play smart shots and play with the particular swing that you have on any given day are all characteristics of successful players.”

Regardless of the student’s talent, Oake approaches each lesson in a similar fashion. “I will ask each student what they would like to accomplish in their game,” says Oake. Some students hope to improve their scores, others just want to get the ball airborne. Whatever the case may be, Oake notes, “After we set a goal, we will construct a plan to reach the goal.” In the plan, Oake may set a series of “mini-goals” for the student, helping the student to feel his own progress and get a sense of accomplishment along the way.

“I try to relate to students in many different ways,” says Oake. For example, if a student has a problem with "coming over the top", or an outside-to-in swing path, Oake will demonstrate the problem in a variety of ways - using the student or himself - to give the student a visual of the swing flaw. Oake will then offer a number of solutions. “Usually one idea will click more than another,” says Oake. “Students have complimented me on the way I stick to a task until they understand,” he adds.

Oake is just as focused and determined when it comes to his own golf game. Practice sessions often include chipping and putting as much as possible, but it’s Oake’s full-shot routine that shows further why he’s a natural teacher. “When I practice full shots, I try to always have a purpose for each shot,” says Oake. “On the range, I will imagine a 15 foot radius around each target. I will hit whichever club I need to stop the ball within the 15 foot radius. I will hit shots until 10 balls stop within my target, then move to the next target and repeat the process. If you are used to hitting to a 15 foot target, you can attack smaller sections of the green on a golf course,” explains Oake. Oake puts the same logical thought into developing his students’ games.

At age 14, Oake took up golf and went on to make the Chelsea High School team. He attended Ferris State University in Michigan and earned his degree in Professional Golf Management. Since then, Oake has teed it up in Michigan Assistants Association Tournaments and Michigan PGA Section Events. “I have always been a pretty straight driver of the golf ball,” says Oake. “I don't have a long, complicated swing, so the ball generally stays pretty much on the path that I intend.” Such was the case for his PGA Player’s Ability Test, so it’s no surprise he was able to two-putt from 10 feet on the last hole to pass it. “I remember thinking about how many millions of times I had done this before, but it seemed to have a different importance this time,” recalls Oake. “I took a deep breath, visualized what I wanted to do, and got the job done.”

Oake has had his share of struggles on the course, too, but in those instances, he reminds himself that golf is just a game, and the sun will still set and come up again tomorrow. Oake stays positive and just tries to get  through it. He knows that negative thoughts can snowball and turn a mediocre round into a bad round. Oake has also seen positive thoughts turn an ugly round into a passable round. “I try to stay positive,” says Oake. What sometimes helps is a good wedge shot. “I love to play wedge shots,” smiles Oake. “I am not a long hitter, but the ability to get up and down around the greens can more than make up for a lack of distance.”

Oake’s hands-down favorite golf course to play is Arcadia Bluffs. His last trip to the lake was an “almost surreal experience,” given the course layout, the atmosphere and oh yeah, that bagpiper playing during his stroll up the 18th fairway. “To me, nothing compares to Northern Michigan. There are enough good golf courses there to keep anyone busy,” says Oake, who tends to wear light colors out on the course and frequently plays a balata ball. When watching golf, Oake follows the young guns on the PGA Tour – Charles Howell, Adam Scott, Bryce Molder. Like any good teacher or coach would do, he’s always rooting for the underdog who is fighting hard to break through.

Oake simply loves to teach. “I love the challenge of relaying something that I know about to someone who is interested in learning,” says Oake. “It provides a great sense of accomplishment when you see the look of satisfaction in someone's eye as if to say ‘Oh, now I get it!’" Born in San Diego, Oake is now a two-year Manchester, Michigan resident and shares his home with his one-year-old Golden retriever, Taylor. An avid sportsman, Oake enjoys baseball, basketball, running and fishing, and he might also play a little acoustic guitar to relax now and then. He’s happiest on the lesson tee, being outside and around a game that he loves.